Electronic Banking and Performance of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aims to identify the relationship between electronic banking and performance of small and medium scale enterprises in Anambra state; one of the states with the highest number of SMEs, entrepreneurial skills, informal enterprises and a suitable business environment in Nigeria. To achieve this, the researcher examined performance of SMEs and their association with components of electronic banking; automated teller machine, point of sale services, transaction alerts via short message services (SMS) and mobile banking, through a questionnaire. Three hundred and seventy (73.1% response rate) copies of questionnaire issued to five hundred and six sampled respondents of 50 SMEs in Anambra state were properly filled and found relevant to the study. The study used SPSS and Excel to identify the descriptive characteristics of the variables of the study and analyze the data. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses of the study. Study results concluded that there is positive relationship between; automated teller machine, point of sale services, transaction alerts via short message services (SMS), mobile banking and performance of SMEs in Anambra State, Nigeria. The result also showed that SMEs continuous usage of electronic banking services could be attributed to cost effectiveness, convenience, security, accessibility and diversity of the services. The study recommends among others that, security of electronic banking services should be upgraded by a conjunction between SMEs and banks and that government should provide adequate regulatory framework to protect customers and security of transaction. Furthermore, policy makers in Nigeria should take advantage of the positive revelation of this study to make policies that will increase number of SMEs in Anambra state and Nigeria at large especially from the large number of informal enterprises in Anambra state and Nigeria.